SANGEETA MADAN, CHANCHAL AND ATHAR HUSSAIN
Abstract
Groundwater aquifer pollution in the vicinity of ash pond of a thermal power plant is the major problem related to wet disposal method of fly ash. Groundwater contamination due to disposal of ash slurry on land surface was assessed through analysing the physico chemical properties (pH, E.C., TDS, Chloride or Cl, Hardness, Ca++, Mg++ and Sulphate or (SO4 ) and heavy metals (Fe and Pb). The study area was selected around the ash disposal site of Parichha Thermal Power Plant, Jhansi. Groundwater samples were collected from bore wells on monthly basis throughout the year 2014. The measured concentrations of the parameters were ranged as: pH (8.1-8.9), electrical conductivity (0.92-5.41 mS/cm), total dissolved solids (550-3630 mg/L), chloride (42.6-470.23 mg/L), hardness (124.23-1435.16 mg/L), calcium (48.09-592.23 mg/ L), magnesium (34.05-842.93 mg/L), sulphate (9-240 mg/L), iron (0.48-1.99 mg/L) and lead (0.32-0.48 mg/L). The enrichment of some elements above BIS guidelines for drinking water indicating significant contamination load of ash pond on groundwater in the surrounding area. The results indicated alkaline water with high pH, higher value of electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, magnesium, iron and lead.